Did you know that today marks the anniversary of not one but two iconic George Balanchine ballets?

Stars and Stripes, that delightfully tongue-in-check confection (which you probably know from Center Stage), premiered on January 17, 1958. A Midsummer Night's Dream, Balanchine's brilliant take on Shakespeare's classic story and Felix Mendelssohn's gorgeous score, premiered January 17, 1962. (Not the most logical date to debut a summery ballet, maybe, but that didn't stop audiences from loving it.)